Flag of England – Wall Sticker Collection

October 28, 2017

The Flag of England is a red cross over a white background. Many people confuse it with the flag of the United Kingdom, which is a mixture of the crosses of São Jorge (England),São Patrick (Northern Ireland) and Santo André (Scotland).In this post, we will understand the history of these flags and their differences.

Flag of England and the Cross of Sao Jorge

Made official as the official flag of England only in the 16th century, the cross of São Jorge was already a well-known visual element among the English. Long before the cross was used as a merchant navy symbol.

The flag of England is derived from the Cross of São Jorge (St George in English). The association between the Red Cross and the emblem of England comes from the 12th century and refers to a crusade of King Henry II (using a white, non-Red Cross) and the flag of Genoa (similar to the current Flag of England), which was used by the British Navy to protect The ships of the mighty Fleets Genoese (for which an annual fee was paid). Here at Kentontrade you can get more different home decor charming ideas.

The legend that gives rise to the cross of Sao Jorge (a Roman soldier of 2000 years ago that is much venerated by Christianity) tells that he protected a princess with his shield while facing a dragon. He drew the Red Cross on his white shield with the monster’s blood. Thus was the symbol of Saint Jorge, the patron saint of England.

Official Image of the Flag of England

This is the official flag of England, which you will find in the bleachers of any departure from the English football team:

United Kingdom, England or Great Britain

Many people make confusion with the flag of England and the flag of the United Kingdom. Doubts arise from the fact that the United Kingdom flag is a union of three Crosses, São Jorge (England), São Patrician(Northern Ireland)and Santo Andre(Scotland).

So to understand how this flag arose, it is necessary to understand the difference between England, the United Kingdom and Britain.

What Is England

Country whose capital is London. It is on the island of Great Britain and is part of the United Kingdom and–at least, for now–from the European Union.

What Is Britain

It is the island that brings together the following countries: England, Wales and Scotland. We wrote a whole post on that subject. If you are interested, check out: Understand Britain.

What Is the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a state formed by the Union of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (which is on the island of Ireland).Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, but who makes the political decisions of the four countries is a Central Parliament, which is in London (England),and is elected by the people. It’s basically Britain plus Northern Ireland. If you care about the subject, we have a nice post to indicate: Understand the UK.

The Flag of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain arose in 1707 with the Union between England and Scotland. To represent this partnership, the symbols of the flags of both countries were merged. Joining the Cross of São Jorge, the flag of England, with the cross of Santo André, of the flag of Scotland, emerged the first flag of the United Kingdom.

The flag of St. David of Wales is not in the final flag of the United Kingdom. But the country is present in this union.

The United Kingdom flag as we know it emerged in 1801, when Ireland incorporated into the remainder of the group. The St Patrick’s Cross was added to the UK flag, forming the current design. She’s called Union Flag or union Jack.

Now See:

Do you understand the origin of the flags of the United Kingdom and England? Leave a comment!